1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety device and more particularly to the improved door safety device for preventing a door from closing an opening within a wall.
2. Background of the Invention
Various types of door safety devices have been proposed by the prior art for preventing a door from closing an opening within a wall. A door safety device may be beneficial by prohibiting an object and/or a limb of an individual from being compressed between the door and the opening within the wall upon closure of the door. Children are more susceptible to such injury since they are unaware of the danger and since their limbs are smaller in size. In addition, a door safety device may be beneficial by prohibiting an individual from being locked either outside or inside of a door way.
One particular type of door safety device includes a kickdown holder fastened to the lower edge of the door. The kickdown holder is pivoted from an ascending position to a descending position. The kickdown holder further includes a stopping surface for engaging the floor while in the descending position. With the kickdown holder engaging the floor, the door is prohibited from further movement in the direction of the closing within the wall. This particular door safety device can be easily disengaged by a child. In addition, an individual is required to bend down to the lower edge of the door in order to alter the position of the kickdown holder.
The following U.S. Patents are examples of attempt of the prior art to solve these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,354,079 to McGarvey, et al. discloses a door check comprising a substantially vertical rod having a pivot between its ends. A bumper is carried at the lower end of the vertical rod. A means is apart from the bumper for engagement by the door whereby the bumper is at all times positively operated by the movement of the door into the path of the door as the latter is moved into a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,873 to Tate discloses a door check comprising a bracket attachable to a door jamb. A link is pivotally carried by the bracket for oscillation parallel to the plane of the front face of the door jamb and depending from the bracket, a bumper is carried by the link. A second link swingingly engages with the first named link and is oscillatable with the first named link or independently thereof in the same plane or in a plane at right angles to the first named link. A bumper is carried by the second named link and is disposed in the same vertical plane thereas but in advance of the plane of the second named bumper.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,906 to Berthene discloses a device for retaining a door ajar having the combination of a yoked portion adapted to skip over and embrace the top part of the door. A member projects from the yoked portion upwardly and away therefrom toward the top sill of the door, whereby the terminal of the member will abut against the sill for retaining the door ajar. A handle projects downwardly form the yoked portion for mounting and demounting the device from the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,025 to Howard discloses a door stop apparatus for attachment relative to a door frame and to a door hinged at one edge thereof to the frame. The door stop comprising obstruction means having a normal position between the door edge and the door frame for preventing complete closure of the door. Support means are connected to the obstruction means for supporting the obstruction means in the region of the door edge and the door frame. The obstruction means are manually movable to a position differing from the normal position whereby the door may be completely closed with respect to the door frame. The obstruction means are responsive to the force of gravity for causing the obstruction means to automatically return to its normal position upon the opening of the door. Retainer means are secured to the door frame in the region whereby the obstruction means may be manually moved into a position of engagement with the retainer means for preventing the obstruction means from attaining its normal position during movement of such door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,140 to McLean discloses a protective device which is attached to a door and the surrounding casing for the purpose of providing maximum protection for the fingers of small children. The protective device includes a door stop device pivotally mounted on the front surface of the door, adjacent the free or unhinged edge, such that the stop automatically pivots downwardly and outwardly when the door opens to a position between the door and adjacent casing to prevent complete closure of the door until the stop device is reset. A flexible, retractible shield overlies the forward gap between the front edge of the hinged side of the door and adjacent casing sidewall. A flexible shield overlies the rear gap between the rear edge of the hinged side of the door and the casing. A yieldable, soft member forms a substantial portion of the vertical free edge of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,555 to Salerno discloses a support device pivotally supporting a resilient body on the leading surface of either a door or a sliding door frame in a manner whereby the gravitational force on the body moves the body between a sliding door and the frame. The body is mounted on a rod which is accommodated in a mounting housing. The body is manually movable away from the door and the frame, so that the body is positioned by gravitational force in abutment with the leading surface of the door when the door is closed. This permits the door to be securely closed with its leading edge in abutment with the frame. The body is interposed by gravitational force between the leading edge of the door and the frame when the door is open thereby preventing the door from closing fully by preventing the leading edge of the door from abutting the frame and thus protecting hands from being crushed between the door and the frame. A deactivation preventing device in the housing limits the extent of manual movement of the ball away from the leading edges of the door and the frame to prevent positioning of the ball at a point from which the gravitational force on the ball moves the ball toward the leading surface of the door or the frame rather than between the door and the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,474 to Kjellstrom discloses an arrangement for a door intended, in conjunction with the closing of same, to prevent injury by crushing between the door leaf and the case. The arrangement comprises a body component with a plane surface intended to be mounted against the door leaf. A longitudinal locking component is pivotally mounted in the body component. A spring acts between the aforementioned body and locking components, which have devices which define a relative angular position. This means essentially that the direction of longitudinal extension of the locking component forms a normal to the plane surface of the body component. The spring forces the components to adopt the aforementioned angular position. The body component with the locking component mounted in it is intended to be mounted on the inside of the door leaf in a position such that, as the door is opened from a closed position, the locking component, sliding against the door case along its length, finally leaves the case and freely adopts the aforementioned relative angular position. When the door is closed again, the free end of the locking component will come up against the case, thus preventing the door from being fully closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,685 to Donovan discloses a door stop apparatus arranged for securement to a door for cooperation with a door jamb, wherein a bracket mounting the slide portion of the organization includes an abutment leg orthogonally mounted to a slide bar. The slide bar further includes an abutment flange limiting projection of the abutment leg beyond the associated door relative to the support bracket. A modification of the invention includes a crossed tubular bracket structure utilizing a severed abutment leg within each tube section, and each abutment leg relative to an associated slide member is of a varying length to provide for adjustment of gap of an associated door relative to an associated door frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,840 to Salvador, et al. discloses a stop mechanism for a door associated with a jamb utilizing an arresting element. The arresting element is capable of withstanding force asserted on an object normally positioned between the door and the jamb. In addition, the arresting element is sized to provide a gap between the door and the jamb when the door is swung toward a closed position. A tether is also employed in the present invention which is connected to the arresting element, and permits the arresting element to lie in a first position in the vicinity of the closed door and associated jamb and in a second position between the door and the jamb when the door is again motivated toward closing. The tether is supported to the vicinity of the door jamb at a selected level above the ground surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,998 to McKenzie discloses a door stop mechanism to be used as a child safety device. The door stop mechanism of the invention is for a door with a rotating door opening mechanism and a door jamb. The invention includes a blocking element, a flexible positioning member and an attachment hook member integrally joined to form a single molded structure. The door stop mechanism of the invention is attached to the rotating shaft of a door opening mechanism, such that the door stop mechanism will rotate in direct relation to the rotation of the door opening mechanism. In its closed position, the door stop mechanism rests across the edge of the door to prevent the door from completely closing. To close the door, the door opening mechanism must be rotated and held in this rotated position while closing the door. When the door opening mechanism is rotated, the blocking element of the present invention is moved away from the door edge which allows the door to be closed. Since the door opening mechanism must be held in a rotated position, the door stop mechanism of the invention prevents the door from being unintentionally shut by a small child, or other person.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,743 to Rashid, et al. discloses a door safety device for use in conjunction with a door that is pivotably mounted to a wall. The safety device comprises a base member that mounts to either the door or the wall, and an engaging member that movably mounts to the engaging member for movement between operative and inoperative positions. In the operative position, the engaging member prevents the door from being moved into the closed position thereof. In the inoperative position, the engaging member is positioned such that the door can be moved to the closed position thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,587 to Urschel, et al. discloses a door closure preventing device mounted on the inside surface of a door and having a pivotal stop moveable between a deactivated position within the periphery of the door and the extended position extending beyond the periphery of the door to prevent closure of the door. The pivotal stop is moved to its extended position following opening of the door by a user and is then released to move by a spring to an intermediate position projecting beyond the door periphery following which closure of the door results in engagement of the door jamb by the stop to prevent complete closure. Engagement of the stop with the door jamb also returns the stop to is fully extended position and actuates a rotary latch so that upon subsequent opening movement of the door by the user the stop is automatically returned to its fully retracted position to permit a conventional door closure apparatus to fully close the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,186 to Haq discloses a mechanism for preventing injury to a person's (especially a child's) hand when a fast-closing door slams against a door frame or jamb. The mechanism comprises a casing which is positioned within a hollowed out portion of the door. The casing is constructed with an opening disposed along the edge of the door. A metallic pendulum is housed and suspended within the casing such that the action of centrifugal force imparted by the fast-closing door will cause the pendulum to swing outwardly through the opening. A raised metal body is attached to the side molding of the door jamb and functions to engage the outwardly swung pendulum to prevent the door from completely closing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,198 to Renaud discloses a gravity actuated door safety device, which prevent injury to fingers and pet's tails. A swinging door safety device comprises a pair of spaced parallel bars connected to one another at one end by a crossbar. At the opposite end of each bar, a counterweight is provided. Each bar has a ring attached at a point between the first and second ends. With the rings mounted to oppositely facing door knobs such that the crossbar spans the leading edge of the door, gravity acting on the counterweight biases the device to rotate such that the bars extend outward from the leading edge and prevent closure of the door by contacting the door jamb. The device is manually rotatable to a position wherein the bars do not extend forward of the door leading edge in order to fully close the door. A sliding door safety device comprises a mounting bracket secured near the leading edge of the sliding door. A lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket and rotatable between a stop position and a retracted position. Gravity acting on the lever automatically deploys the lever to the stop position when the door is opened due to the lever geometry.
U.S. Patent Application 20010044985 to Regis discloses a gravity actuated door safety device which prevents injury to fingers and pet's tails. A swinging door safety device comprises a pair of spaced parallel bars connected to one another at one end by a crossbar. At the opposite end of each bar, a counterweight is provided. Each bar has a ring attached at a point between the first and second ends. With the rings mounted to oppositely facing door knobs such that the crossbar spans the leading edge of the door, gravity acting on the counterweight biases the device to rotate such that the bars extend outward from the leading edge and prevent closure of the door by contacting the door jamb. The device is manually rotatable to a position wherein the bars do not extend forward of the door leading edge in order to fully close the door. A sliding door safety device comprises a mounting bracket secured near the leading edge of the sliding door. A lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket and rotatable between a stop position and a retracted position. Gravity acting on the lever automatically deploys the lever to the stop position when the door is opened due to the lever geometry.
Although the aforementioned prior art have contributed to the development of the art of door safety device, none of these prior art patents have solved the needs of this art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved door safety device for preventing a door from closing an opening within a wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door safety device for prohibiting an object and/or a limb of an individual from being compressed between the door and the opening within the wall upon closure of the door.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door safety device is easily installed to an existing door.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door safety device is that easily operated by an adult and cannot be operated by a small child.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door safety device wherein an adult may disengage the door safety device to permit the door to close the opening within the wall.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved door safety device wherein upon removing the door from the opening the door safety device engages to prevent subsequent closing of the door within the opening of the wall.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.